What does the fur coat mean to Mrs Van Pels in the diary of Anne Frank?

The fur coat is highly symbolic to Mrs. van Pels. It represents everything of value to her: Prestige, a solid middle-class income, a treasured possession. Her husband, always the more practical of the two, determines that it must be sold on the Black Market in exchange for money to buy food. It precipitates one of the biggest "scenes" by Mrs. van Pels in the entire Diary of Anne Frank, and there were a number of "scenes" regarding Mrs. van Pels.